FOXBOROUGH — It’s been the week of Quinn Nordin.
The undrafted rookie kicker was the star of the Patriots’ in-stadium practice last Friday night making all 10 of his field goal attempts, and then went 3-for-3, including a 40 and 50-yarder, on field goals and 1-for-2 on extra points in Thursday’s preseason opener against Washington.
Clearly, he’s making the most of his opportunity with Nick Folk sidelined with an injury. And given his strong leg, he has already become a fan favorite.
So, what did Bill Belichick think of his performance Thursday?
“Yeah, I mean, we'll take a look at it. Hit a couple good ones, missed an extra point,” he said. “It's all about consistency. Quinn has gotten better. He's worked hard. But again, it's really about consistency at that position. We're getting there. We'll see what kind of progress he continues to make.”
At the very least, Nordin is making Belichick have to think about what he’s going to do at kicker. The Michigan product has improved in a big way since he joined the team in the spring, but it’s all about consistency when it comes to being trusted to make the team at that position.
Nordin has a bigger leg than Folk, but the veteran has been super consistent during his time with the team. Not to mention Folk has roughly $1.5 million guaranteed in his contract, which makes him a tough guy to cut.
Even if the Patriots do not keep Nordin on the 53-man roster, it feels like they like him enough to try and keep him around on the practice squad.
Not bad for a guy who was looking for jobs on LinkedIn four days after the NFL Draft.